


Here I Am With Arms Unfolding

by catdragon



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Exes, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Penelope is so soft for Josie, Post-Break Up, a little tiny bit of angst I guess?, and only for Josie, but they get back together, communication is important, obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 10:12:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18050534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catdragon/pseuds/catdragon
Summary: Lizzie decided to drag Josie to a bar so she would stop moping around. It was just that Josie really hadn't anticipated her ex saving her from some creepy guy. Or the feelings that came rushing back when she saw her, even after she broke Josie's heart.Or Posie have a heart to heart after their break up.





	Here I Am With Arms Unfolding

**Author's Note:**

> I love Posie a lot okay and we need more of that content.  
> Also I don't exactly know what happened at the end, but it got very fluff and very cheesy.

Bars were not Josie’s scene. They were loud and crowded. There were dumb drunk guys trying to hit on every girl in sight and sometimes it just made her want to scream. This was one of those times.  
Lizzie had a crush on this new guy and he had invited her for a night out at a bar. Of course, Lizzie being Lizzie, she had dragged Josie along with her. According to her twin, Josie should go out more and socialize instead of moping around (Josie disagreed, she was perfectly fine with watching movies by herself and she was not moping). She had rolled her eyes but eventually agreed, unable to say no to her sister begging for her to come with. So now here she was, sitting alone at the bar with a half full drink in front of her. Lizzie had gone off with the new boy somewhere and honestly, Josie didn’t even want to know where they were or what they were doing. She had walked in on her sister in compromising positions one too many times and wasn’t very eager to repeat those.

Sipping her drink, she scrolled through her Instagram feed, passing the time until she could leave and fall into her bed without getting her sister angry. She was looking forward to that after the busy week she’d had. Her scrolling was interrupted by a voice screaming into her ear so loudly she was afraid she would go deaf.

“Haven’t seen you around here before. What’s your name? I bet it’s something pretty just like you are.” She wanted to throw-up at that terrible pick-up line. She decided not engaging was the best idea and ignored the guy, hoping he would just go away if she didn’t take her eyes of her phone.

“Awww come on, won’t you tell me what you’re called? I could guess as well! Is it… Angel?”  
Josie looked up to glare at the guy. “It’s none of your business.” 

“Don’t be like that.” He crept closer to her and sat down on the barstool next to hers. He was obviously drunk. An air of alcohol hung around him and almost made her gag. Josie could feel his eyes on her. She instinctively moved as far away from him as she could without getting up. “I’m Max. See it’s not hard. So what is yours?” 

“Not interested.” The words came out in the most monotone and uninterested voice she could muster. See the thing was, Josie wasn’t good at these things. She never knew how to deal with them. Most guys would get the hint and leave but dudes like these were something else. If only Lizzie was here to jump in that would be great, but she didn’t see her sister anywhere and there wasn’t anybody else that she knew. 

The guy put his hand on her arm and she pulled it away reflexively and shot him another glare.

“If you won’t tell me your name, will you maybe tell me something else with those sexy lips of yours?”

She was so, so close to setting the guy on fire. It would just take one little word and wave of her hand. However, before Josie could lose her temper an arm was draped around her shoulder and a familiar voice called out to the guy.

“If another word leaves that mouth directed at my girl over here, I will make sure that the only sounds coming from your mouth ever again are going to be screams.” The guy just raised an eyebrow and laughed. His laughing ceded when he saw the deadly look in Penelope’s eyes that accompanied the words. Since it was Penelope, Josie’s ex Penelope, that had draped an arm over her shoulder. Josie couldn’t help but gape at her ex. The last time she’d seen her ex was after they’d just broken up and met up to exchange some stuff they both still had from each other (and if Josie had kept one of the hoodies that had belonged to Penelope no one ever had to know). But that had been almost five months ago. So to say Josie was surprised to see her here was an understatement. Penelope looked the same as she always had, maybe even better if that was even possible. Her hair was shorter now, Josie noted. It suited her. Then again everything looked good on Penelope. 

Josie was still staring at the girl next to her when a hand started waving in front of her face, bringing her back to the present. She hadn’t even noticed the guy leaving. Too stunned by Penelope’s sudden appearance. 

“Earth to Josie? Are you okay?” Penelope was looking at her with worried eyes, her arm had now moved from around her shoulders to her arm. She squeezed it while still intently looking at Josie.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine,” Josie said to the ground, deciding that was safer than looking into Penelope’s eyes. 

“Did he hurt you?” Josie shook her head. The worry in Penelope’s soft voice almost made Josie cry. Penelope had always made sure that she was fine before anything else. Every single time something had happened. And even though she had tried with every fibre of her being to hate Penelope, she just couldn’t. Not when Penelope’s voice was so soft when she talked to her. Not when the first thing she did was make sure Josie was okay. That didn’t mean Josie wasn’t angry with her. She was still very pissed. Who did Penelope think she was just randomly getting into her business? 

“I’m good. Really. I could’ve handled it myself. Your help wasn’t needed.” She was looking at Penelope now, who had that annoying smirk on her face and moved to sit down on the barstool next to Josie. 

“I’m sure you could’ve handled yourself. But you have to admit it was fun to see the look on his face. And besides, nobody can treat you like that and get away with it. Not when I’m around.” She was still smirking at Josie but there was a fire in her eyes. It was the same fire that Josie had seen multiple times when they had still been together. The one that had got them in some compromising positions. Josie had loved that fire. Now she ignored it. 

“Really? Because as I recall you don’t have any say over who can treat me like what or over anything I do anymore. Not since you broke up with me.” 

Penelope’s smirk fell away. The fire in her eyes dimmed. Josie had only seen her this vulnerable when the two of them were together. Around everybody else Penelope had her walls up. Josie was only a little smug that those walls still fell down around her.

“I’m sorry. You know I had to. It just… It wasn’t working and –” '

“That’s bullshit and you know it” Josie interrupted. “You broke my heart. You don’t get to be sorry and act like everything is fine when I don’t even know the reason you broke up with me. And don’t you dare say it just wasn’t working because we were perfectly fine the day before. I know something happened. I know you Penelope. You don’t want to tell me? Fine. But don’t expect me to be nice to you. Or interact with you at all.” 

Josie downed the remainder of her drink and walked away. She didn’t want to hear Penelope grovelling anymore. Lizzy would be fine going home by herself. She would understand. Josie didn’t look back at Penelope, didn’t see the girl brushing away the few tears that were streaming down her face. Or how she downed the strong drink she ordered. Josie just went home and fell on her bed, her mind racing, her face wet with tears.

*

When she woke up the following morning Josie was tired. Very, very tired. She had barely slept and was considering just laying in bed all day. It certainly sounded very appealing. A knock on her door got her out of bed eventually. She threw on a hoodie and shuffled to the door to open it. Then immediately wanted to shut it again when she saw Penelope standing on the other side. But she had already planted her foot in the door opening. She was staring at Josie as if she was surprised to see her there even though she was the one that came knocking on Josie’s door. 

“What do you want?” Josie grunted eventually, getting impatient with Penelope’s staring. 

“Is that my hoodie?” Josie looked down at the hoodie she was wearing and Penelope was right. She was wearing the hoodie she’d never given back. Shit. She hadn’t noticed when she’d thrown it on. Her cheeks reddened.

“Maybe.”

“You kept my hoodie.” 

“It’s comfortable.”

“More comfortable than your favourite blue one?” Penelope raised an eyebrow. Josie wanted to smack that look of Penelope’s face. She always looked so smug when she made Josie blush. 

“What do you want Penelope?” If Penelope noticed that she evaded her question she didn’t comment on it. 

“To talk. Can I come in?” Josie sighed. She should say no but found that she couldn’t refuse the glimmer of hope in the girl’s eyes. For some reason Penelope still had an effect on her that she couldn’t explain. Even now. Josie sighed.

“Fine.” She stepped aside to let Penelope in and shut the door behind her. 

“Want some tea?”

“No I’m fine.” Josie shrugged and made some tea for herself while Penelope sat down awkwardly.

“Where’s Lizzie?” 

“Out somewhere, I think she had a date with this guy?” Josie sat down next to Penelope, who was looking nervous. Josie didn’t have a clue why she would be nervous. Then again she also had no idea why Penelope was here in the first place so she could add it to her list. 

“Josie I’m sorry,” Josie opened her mouth to interrupt but Penelope held up her hand. “Just let me talk for a minute okay?” Josie gave a small nod when she saw the pleading look in the girl’s eyes. 

“I’m sorry. For never telling you the reason I broke up with you. For not confiding in you, shutting you out, breaking your heart. For being a coward.”

“What are you talking about?” Josie asked confused. 

“The reason I broke up with you. It wasn’t because I didn’t like you anymore. You know how you are so selfless? I love that about you. But Josie sometimes you need to take things for yourself.”

“So you’ve told me. Multiple times. Is this about Lizzie again? Because we talked about that and if you’re only here to talk shit about my sister you can leave.” The irritation was bubbling up again.

“No, it’s not about Lizzie. Not really anyway. It’s that all of your energy that didn’t go towards Lizzie? It went towards me. Which of course I wasn’t complaining about but that meant there was no energy left for you.” Penelope looked at Josie, willing her to understand what she was trying to say.

“You only have so much energy to give. You use all of yours on other people and I’m not saying that you shouldn’t care about other people. I’m just saying that you should also use some of that energy on yourself. Josie when we were together I saw you getting more tired every day. More depleted. And I know it wasn’t just because of me. But it also was. You gave me all that you had left but that meant there was nothing left to give yourself.” 

“So you broke up with me why?” Josie asked, the irritation had slowly ebbed away while Penelope had been talking but she still didn’t entirely understand what Penelope was saying.

“I broke up with you because I wanted to give you the energy back that you spent on me. So you had some time left to spend on yourself. Just…think about it. Haven’t you had at least some more time to yourself since we broke up?” It was the most vulnerable and honest that Josie had ever seen Penelope. So she decided to listen to her. Maybe there was some sense in what she was saying. It was true that Josie spend a lot of her energy on other people, but she didn’t see that as a bad thing. She liked helping other people. It made her feel better. But she had been less exhausted the past few months. She’d even had the motivation again to pick up her ukulele and play around a bit. Which she hadn’t since… she couldn’t even remember. Hadn’t she played for Penelope once at the beginning of their relationship? The last year had been a bit of a blur and Josie clamped her cup of tea firmly while she came to the realisation that Penelope might be right. 

“I’m just saying it’s okay to say no to people once in a while. Do something for yourself. I’m not saying you should stop being you.” Penelope said after a while. Her voice quiet as if she didn’t want to disrupt Josie’s thinking. The other girl had been staring at her cup of tea for a while but looked up at Penelope’s voice. 

“You’re actually right. I have been neglecting myself. It’s just hard to say no to people? I want to help them as much as I can Penelope. Lizzie needs me,” She took a sip of her tea and grumbled the rest. 

“Although you might be right that sometimes I let myself go a bit.” Penelope put her hand on her chest and looked at Josie pretending to be shocked. “You’re saying I’m right?” A small chuckle left Josie and she smiled, which had probably been Penelope’s plan anyway. 

“I’m glad you’re not mad at me.” 

“Oh no. I’m still mad at you. Why didn’t you tell me this instead of breaking up with me?” 

“Would you have listened to me?” Josie was taken aback by the question. 

“Honestly? I’m not sure. But I still think you should’ve tried. I might have. I admit that I had a lot on my mind and I wasn’t the best girlfriend but I still think you should’ve talked to me. Do you know how much I cried after you broke up with me? I didn’t leave my bed for a week. Lizzie still calls you Satan sometimes” 

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I definitely could’ve handled it better. I don’t know if it makes you feel better to know this but I cried a lot as well. Your heart wasn’t the only one that I broke.” Josie couldn’t hide her shock. She had never considered the possibility that their breakup had hurt Penelope as well. Since she had been the one doing the breaking up. Even if she was still mad at Penelope, she now understood where she was coming from. She didn’t have to agree with her ex, but she understood. A soft laugh came out of Josie’s mouth and she shook her head at the ridiculousness. 

“We’re a mess aren’t we?” 

Penelope grinned back at her, “Just a little bit.” Josie saw the other girl’s eyes turn worried.

“You okay Jo-Jo?” Josie hadn’t even noticed the tears that were rolling down her face. She rubbed them away with her hand and smiled at Penelope. Not wanting to show what the nickname still did to her heart.  
“Yeah I’m good. It’s just a lot.”

“Do you want me to leave? We could talk later if you need some time.” Penelope was already standing up and Josie just couldn’t stay mad at her. This girl that had always been there for her since she’d known her. While usually it was Josie that was the selfless one, in their relationship it had often been Penelope. She had always been willing to take a step back so that Josie could shine, or have a moment to herself. Even now, she was still willing to do that. It was the reason she broke up with her. Josie wholeheartedly believed that Penelope was telling the truth when she explained. 

“Stay.” It was only a whisper but it echoed throughout the quiet room. Penelope turned to Josie.

“Are you sure?” The words felt heavy. It was quiet while the two girls just stared at each other. A wordless conversation seemed to pass between them. 

“I kept the hoodie because it reminds me of you. It was the first piece of clothing of you I ever wore.” A blush crept on Josie’s cheeks as she softly uttered the words. Penelope didn’t look smug this time. Her eyes only filled with love as she smiled at the other girl. “I kept one of your sweaters as well.”

“You did?” 

“The blue one.”

“I thought I’d lost it.” Josie shrugged. “You can keep it, you looked better in it anyway.” 

“Hmmm really, I think you look better in mine as well. If you keep that one we have a deal.” Penelope had moved closer to Josie again, slowly making her way back to the other girl. There was a fire in her eyes that made Josie’s heart feel like it was going to beat out of her chest. When Penelope was in arm’s reach she couldn’t take it anymore. She had almost forgotten how good the girl was at driving her insane.

“Oh fuck it” she mumbled before reaching out and grasping Penelope’s arm so she could use it to pull her towards her. Penelope landed on top of Josie and their lips connected. It took a moment for Penelope to kiss back, too surprised by Josie’s sudden actions. But she recovered quickly and kissed Josie just as passionately.  
Josie smirked in the kiss before she turned them around, a bit more clumsy than she would’ve liked but she ended up where she wanted. In Penelope’s lap, her legs on either side. Penelope groaned and her arms wrapped around Josie, holding the girl close while they kept kissing.  
When Penelope finally pulled back, both of them were breathing heavily. Josie had no idea how long they had been making out but she wasn’t complaining. She touched her forehead against Penelope’s and they both smiled.

“You know, I got better at dividing my energy between people and myself,” Josie said while intently looking into Penelope’s eyes, willing her to understand the meaning of her words. 

“Are you saying you want to try again? Because I will gladly own up to my mistake if that means I get Josie Saltzman back. You look better. I’ll promise to communicate better.” 

“Healthy adults who communicate about their relationship and feelings? Who have we become?” Josie said dryly. Penelope laughed which made Josie smile. She loved making Penelope laugh. It was one of the best sounds in the world.

“Josie Saltzman, I made a mistake in breaking up with you because I was afraid and didn’t tell you about my fears. But I never once stopped loving you in the months that we were apart. Will you please be my girlfriend again?” Josie’s heart was filled with love as she looked at Penelope. 

“I promise to take care of you and also myself. If you help me I think I can divide my energy better between the people I love. Which include you. So I will definitely be your girlfriend again, just don’t break up with me again. I don’t think my heart could take it.”

“I won’t. You’ll just have to be mine forever.” Penelope sighed dramatically but couldn’t help the big smile on her face. Just as Josie couldn’t help the bright smile on her own face. She cuddled up next to Penelope, their arms wrapped around each other. Penelope still loved her. Penelope was her girlfriend again. It was the best thing she could’ve asked for and she was incredibly happy that Lizzy had dragged her to that stupid bar. 

They would do better this time. She was sure of it. They’d at least had a good start this time so Josie had faith in that they would work out. 

“I love you Jo-Jo” A soft whisper in her ear. A kiss on her hair.

“I love you too Penny”

Yeah, they were going to be fine, Josie thought. Content in the arms of the girl she loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr if you wanna chat or just for fun at @topazlance


End file.
